Asylum Cycles uses Crowd Supply to Launch Bike Company

If you have even the slightest interest in cross bikes, you’ve absolutely got to read this. Today we’re laying down a guest post from Patrick of Asylum Cycles….and he’s here to tell you all about the cool and unique way this bike company is launching their brand.

Oh, and if you help back them (before their May 18th deadline) you’ll get a wicked deal on a frame or complete bike.

Asylum Cycles

My name is Patrick Croasdaile.I work for an upstart bike brand: Asylum Cycles of Portland, OR. We’re trying a new method of launching a bike company: crowdfunding. While there are plenty of bicycling projects on websites like Indiegogo and Kickstarter, a lot of these projects are either small in scale, or attached to pre-existing companies.

We want our launch project—the Meuse: a full-carbon disc-only Cyclocross bike—to give us the footing to start a whole new company. Asylum’s end-goal is producing exactly the kind of product serious cyclists want to ride. There are a number of exciting designs in our pipeline once the Meuse funds. Customer input will be crucial for every project we undertake. In that way, our customers become our partners. This is a major reason why we chose to crowdfund.

As a Portland brand, there wasn’t a better launch product than a cyclocross bike. Since the early 1990s, ‘cross has flourished in the Pacific Northwest. The Asylum Meuse is recognition of the sport’s growing importance in America as well as an acknowledgment of the Northwest’s racing roots in Low Country cycling culture. We refer to Portland as “Belgium by the Willamette.” The name Meuse comes from the very same river that flows from Le Châtelet-sur-Meuse through the Low Countries and into the North Sea.

The Asylum Meuse straddles the line between purebred Cyclocross bike and gravel road racer. Though we’ve leaned heavily toward the Cyclocross end of things, our bottom bracket drop keeps the bike very lively. I don’t get that “oh crap I’m in the middle of the air” feeling when I dive into a corner at high-speed on the road. Conversely, I’m not striking my crank arms on rocks and roots when I take it off-road. Tire clearance is exceptional for a race bike as well. You can fit up to 35mm cross tires on it and probably larger if you opted for slicks. We’ve done our best to future-proof it by equipping it with disc brakes (it’s also hydraulic compatible). The Meuse’s geometry makes it incredibly versatile both on- and off-road.

One of my favorite features is the Powerflow design on the downtube/bottom bracket/chainstay interface. This stiffens the rear end considerably. I’m a “bigger” racer at 6’1″ and 175lbs. I don’t feel any flex in the rear end. The Meuse flies out of corners and climbs on the road exceptionally well.

Having partnered with Rogue Ales of Newport, OR, we’re also offering a special Rogue Team Edition in addition to the regular Asylum scheme.

We opted to crowdfund on Crowd Supply because, unlike the other crowdfunding platforms, they handle the e-commerce, warehousing, and shipping once a project successfully funds. This means a lot to a small company like Asylum. In that way, Crowd Supply gets to incubate new brands and help them grow once their project is successful. They’re also a company run by bike nerds.

We’re offering our backers the chance to reserve their very own Meuse for virtually wholesale (4 build options on offer). That’s our way of saying thanks for helping us launch our company. We have to hit a minimum order, so the more bikes we can pre-sell, the better.

On top of the introductory price, our 10-year no-fault crash replacement policy—for original owners—and 3-year warranty are our way of building a partnership with our customers. We want the people who get in on this brand from the get-go to share the journey with us. We also want you to ride your bike hard.

May 18th is the project deadline. We’re over 70% funded. Support Asylum by going to their Crowd Supply page:

I’m not a cross rider. Yet. I have been wanting to get a cross bike for some time now but have never talked to anyone about what would be good for me. I’m an average road rider, what kind of information should I provide you with to find out what type of cross bike would be best for me?

Benji, we’d be happy to talk to you about ‘Cross bikes if you’d be interested in hearing our viewpoint. Backing the Meuse is one of the best ways to get in on a great ‘cross bike. The disc-brakes also future-proof the purchase. Check out Cyclocross Magazine’s coverage of the Meuse here: http://www.cxmagazine.com/asylum-cycles-meuse-carbon-disc-brake-cyclocross-bike. Also, Feel free to reach out to us at this email: patrick[dot]croasdaile[at]crowdsupply[dot]com

I’ve never funded any projects through kickstarter and have actually never heard of crowdfund, but this one interests me. Plus I could use a cross bike. I’ll take a look at the options and see how I can donate.

Ben, Crowd Supply is a new way to crowdfund projects. The Meuse is one of the launch items and is poised for success. Please hit us up with any questions you might have: patrick[dot]croasdaile[at]crowdsupply[dot]com

My question is other than juice, can you suggest modifications in lieu of table sugar for energy and hydration.

Answer:

Both raw/organic honey or agave can work great in the homebrew (substitute in the same quantities for the sugar, or to taste), but you do have to shake well in order to make sure they don’t settle out. Have you tried either of these? Also, make sure to use at least the minimum amount of salt recommended in the homebrew as the temps rise, you need the sodium replacement if you’re sweating.